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LG, Ravi expand relationship with DivX licensing pacts
MUMBAI: LG Electronics and Rovi, which offers digital entertainment solutions globally, have signed multi-year licensing agreements that expand their relationship and provide further integration of DivX technology into a wider range of consumer electronics devices.
LG’s latest agreements support its plans to continue to promote the technology on devices beyond Blu-ray Disc players, to ultimately include HDTVs, in-car players, set-top boxes, tablets and mobile phones.
Rovi senior VP of consumer electronics sales Matt Milne said, “We believe our collaboration with LG is an ideal combination of state-of-the-art devices, with optimized, multi-screen video playback. We look forward to extending our valued relationship with LG and helping LG provide its customers consistent, high-quality video experiences, whether they are connected or offline, across multiple types of home entertainment and mobile devices.”
The agreement with Rovi enables LG to implement DivX PlusHD, the premium level of certification available, and will add to the more than half a billion home and mobile consumer electronics devices that have shipped with DivX technology.
The newly DivX Plus HD Certified devices can play back DivX.MKV files up to 1080p and previous versions of DivX video.
LG Electronics senior VP, advanced technology Dr. Nandhu Nandhakumar said, “Consumers around the world know that when they see the DivX logo on an LG product, they can rest assured that their digital video files will play flawlessly. Renewing our agreement with Rovi underscores LG’s commitment to continue that level of quality for our customers.”
The Rovi Certification programme provides consumers with a digital media solution that makes it easy to transfer Internet video for enjoyment on an extensive, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of consumer electronics devices with great video performance and visual quality.
Certified DivX devices contain digital rights management technology to enable the playback of protected premium movies in the DivX format via optical disc, USB drive or streamed wirelessly over a home network using DLNA.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
